Enosis

Enosis, the goal of uniting Cyprus with Greece, was shaped within the framework of Megali Idea (Great Ideal), a cornerstone of Greek national ideology. The boundaries depicted in the map published by Rigas Feraios in 1791 were based on the ideal of reviving the Byzantine Empire; Cyprus was shown on this map as Greek territory.

Transition to British Rule (1878) and the Hope of Enosis

In 1878, the Ottoman Empire’s “temporary” cession of Cyprus to Britain was viewed by Greek Cypriots as a step forward on the path to Enosis. The first demands began with the petition for Enosis submitted in 1878 by the Bishop of Kyrenia to British authorities. However, Britain’s primary objective was strategic advantage; it aimed to position Cyprus as a base along the route to India.

Establishment of Enosis in Society Through Education and the Church

The commitment of Greek Cypriots to Enosis was not merely political but also ideologically organized. The Orthodox Church and teachers sent from Greece shaped the education system in this direction. During the 1920s, only books approved by Athens were taught in Greek schools, the Greek national anthem was sung, and portraits of Greek leaders hung in classrooms. This systematic indoctrination transformed Enosis into a cultural consciousness.

British Policy and Greek Cypriot Responses

The British administration consistently rejected Enosis demands. In 1893, in response to a proposal by Greek Cypriot representatives, the official reply stated: “Cyprus cannot be given to Greece because Turkish consent is also required.”

Britain dismissed these demands diplomatically by asserting that Cyprus remained under Ottoman sovereignty. Nevertheless, these policies were perceived by Greek Cypriots as insincere, particularly after Churchill’s visit to the island in 1907, during which his expressions of “sympathies peculiar to the Greek nation” raised hopes among Enosis supporters.

The 1931 Uprising: The Turn to Violence in the Enosis Struggle

By 1931, the demand for Enosis emerged for the first time as an organized and armed uprising. Initiated by a call from Bishop Milonas of Kitium, the uprising demonstrated that Greek Cypriots were beginning to favor violence to achieve Enosis.

The main causes of the uprising were:

Decades-long Enosis propaganda,

The British “Order in Council” decision, which disregarded the will of the local population,

The spread of anti-British sentiment within educational and religious institutions,

Support from Greece and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.

During the uprising, British consular buildings were burned and protests became mass events. However, the uprising ended in failure, and the British administration imposed harsh measures against the Greek Cypriots. The same repression also affected the Turkish Cypriot community, fostering among some Greek Cypriots a nostalgic longing for Ottoman tolerance.

Britain’s Response and the Suppression of the Enosis Demand

After the uprising, Britain brought all political parties, associations, and the press on Cyprus under strict control. The Legislative Council was abolished. Greek Cypriots became reluctant to openly express the demand for Enosis after 1931. However, this was only a temporary lull; the struggle for Enosis would revive in subsequent years.

The period between 1878 and 1931 represents the transformation of the Enosis demand from a mere aspiration into an ideological, institutional, and ultimately violent movement. Britain’s interest-driven policies, the authority of the Greek Church over the population, ideological indoctrination through education, and indirect interference from Greece formed the core dynamics of this process. The 1931 Uprising marked the culmination of this process.

The Greek Cypriot ideal of Enosis later contributed to the establishment of an organization and to massacres committed against Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus.